


Anniversary

by BritHistorian



Category: Firefly
Genre: Anniversary, Multi, Pregnancy, Surprises
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-31
Updated: 2016-12-31
Packaged: 2018-09-13 17:18:17
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,362
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9133750
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BritHistorian/pseuds/BritHistorian
Summary: The traditional gifts for the 12th anniversary are silk and linen.  Simon gives both his wives the traditional gift, but they give him something even more precious.





	

As soon as the last patient left, Simon put the used instruments in the autoclave so they'd be ready for the next morning's cases, retrieved a couple of packages from his desk drawer, closed up the clinic, and headed up Main Street. He was more glad than usual to be heading home — this was a special day. "Our twelfth anniversary," he said to himself, shaking his head in amusement over the events of the past twelve years. Exactly twelve years previously he, Kaylee, and Inara had announced they were a family, and he and Kaylee had moved into Inara's shuttle. Eleven years and 51 weeks previously, Captain Malcolm Reynolds had unceremoniously dumped the three of them off at the next port Serenity touched. Mal just couldn't accept the fact that Kaylee and Simon both loved Inara, and she loved both of them, and they were all okay with the situation. Mal had had a chance, and he'd blown it. Inara had loved him, once, but he'd never been able to admit he loved her back. It took his love and Kaylee's to heal the wounds Mal had left in her heart. Seeing them all happy together, Mal had recognized how badly he had messed up, but he had no idea how to fix it, so instead he kicked them off the ship and ran away.  
  
At that time this had been just a small ranch town, maybe just a couple of hundred colonists. They'd needed a doctor, so they were happy to see Simon — happy enough to build an apartment and office for him, and used enough to minding their own business that it never seemed to bother anyone that the doctor was living with two women. The apartment was a small pair of rooms behind the clinic, and nowadays Simon used it as a hospital for those rare occasions when a patient was too sick or too badly injured to be treated in their own home. But for their first couple of years, it had been home. Those first years had been hard ones, but they'd made it through. At the time, if Simon ever got paid at all, it was in vegetables and livestock. Fortunately, Inara's training had included sufficient education in the culinary arts that she was able to turn any random collection of ingredients into a gourmet meal. And Kaylee still had enough of her farmgirl skills to take care of their animals, and to turn saved seed into a kitchen garden that kept food on the table when the colonists were going through hard times and weren't able to pay their medical bills.  
  
If Simon or Inara ever had any doubts that Kaylee loved them, the fact that she was staying on a planet — especially one as backward as Outback — just so that she could be with them instantly put those doubts to rest. Inara pretty much had to stay here — either here or someplace like here. She'd never managed to save enough buy out her contract with the guild, so if she showed her face in civilization again, they'd be all over her for 12 years' back dues, with interest. Simon didn't know what they'd do if she didn't have the cash, but he knew it couldn't possibly be pleasant. As for him, a doctor was welcome pretty much anywhere, but between the price on his head and his father's continued displeasure, he'd just as soon stay far from the Core, which means Outback was as good as anywhere.  
  
His parents… he hadn't thought about them in years. They were still alive, or had been last time he'd heard from River, but they still hadn't forgiven him. For anything: For abandoning the career his father had set him up in. For breaking River out of the Institute and turning them both into outlaws. For dishonoring the family name (his greatest sin in his father's eyes). For not providing them with grandchildren (his greatest sin in his mother's).  
  
Children. They hadn't had any children. Not for lack of trying. All the tests that Simon had run — at Kaylee's insistence when there were no children after four years — had failed to show any problems. Ditto the second set he'd run — at Inara's insistence — after eight years. Simon was at a loss to explain it, just one of those things… Well, better not to dwell on that. Here was the door of their new house, which they'd built once the colony had started to grow, and inside were the loves of his life.  
  
Opening the door and walking into the cozy house, Simon breathed in the chaotic orchestra of smells that told him he was home. There was the smell of the flowers that Kaylee grew, and the smell of Inara's favorite incense, and then swirling above all that the smell of whatever they were cooking for dinner tonight. It smelled of beef and onions and wine and mushrooms and various sorts of vegetables and spices. It smelled like heaven, especially since Simon had forgotten to eat lunch again.  
  
Inara heard Simon come in and stuck her out of the kitchen. She had her hair tied back in a bun, and a smudge of flour down the side of her face — she looked beautiful, as always. "About time you got home! Dinner's almost ready, we can eat as soon as Kaylee gets home — she said she might be working late at the garage tonight."  
  
Just then Simon heard the door burst open behind him and Kaylee grabbed him from behind in a tremendous hug. "But I won't be, because I. Am. A genius." Accepting the beer that Inara offered her, Kaylee sat down on the bench by the door to take off her boots. "I keep telling Old Man McLaren that if he keeps running the regulators in his combine too damn hot he's gonna blow out the thermostat. So he tows in his carbine yesterday with a busted thermostat. And guess where he had the regulators set?"  
  
Simon and Inara chimed in, "Too damn hot!" Kaylee wouldn't have half as much work around the garage if Old Man McLaren would just listen to her advice — which is why she secretly was glad he didn't listen. Tractors weren't spaceships, but at least working on a tractor was work.  
  
Inara looked over at Kaylee. "You've got just enough time to get dressed for dinner. And I've laid out a dress for you."  
  
Simon piped up. "Wait — I've got your anniversary presents here, and I thought you might like to wear them to dinner." Simon sat back and watched and they opened their presents, enjoying the differences between them — Kaylee's exuberance as she ripped into her package contrasting with Inara's careful deliberation as she managed to open hers without tearing the paper at all. Having already gotten all the paper off her box, Kaylee waited for Inara to catch up, and they both opened the boxes together. Kaylee pulled out a yellow silk nightgown and Inara a pair of red silk pajamas.  
  
"Ooh! Shiny!" Kaylee said, holding up her new nightgown and looking at it. "But are you sure it's appropriate for dinner."  
  
Simon laughed. "We're not having company, and I don't know of any rule that says a doctor's wives can't wear pajamas to dinner."  
  
Kaylee and Inara exchanged a sly glance. "I think," Kaylee said, "that we should give Simon the first half of his present now."  
  
"I entirely agree," Inara said, putting down her present and taking a small package off the sideboard and handing it to Simon. "Open it."  
  
Simon unwrapped the box, opened it, and looked inside. Inside were two pregnancy tests: One negative, one positive. Simon sputtered and coughed and finally managed to find his voice. "Does this mean what I think it does?"  
  
Kaylee walked across the room and put her arm around Inara. "You betcha! One of us is having a baby!"  
  
"Which one?" Simon asked, looking excitedly from one to the other.  
  
Inara smiled at him. "That's the second half of your present — after dinner, you get to take us to up bed, and try to figure out which one it is."

**Author's Note:**

> Just in case you're wondering, I never was able to decide who was pregnant.


End file.
